Srinagar, Jul 17: Vitamin D deficiency is high in Kashmir especially among women due to insufficient exposure to sunlight and lack of vitamin D-rich foods in diet, says a study.
A recent study titled ‘Assessment of Vitamin D Status in General Population of Kashmir Valley of Indian Subcontinent’, looked into the vitamin D levels of people of Kashmir by measuring serum 25-hydroxyvitamin [25(OH)D] levels.
The study has found that vitamin D deficiency was very high in the valley, especially among women.
“222 (82.2%) of the subjects studied had Vitamin D deficiency. 45 of the 69 males and 177 of the 201 females were found to be Vitamin D deficient. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency ranged from 58% in the farmers’ group to 93% in the employee group. Further, vitamin D deficient subjects had a significantly lower mean weekly exposure to sunlight,” read the study.
Many factors can cause vitamin D deficiency including insufficient exposure to sunlight and lack of vitamin D-rich foods in the diet. Other reasons could be kidneys’ inability to convert vitamin D into its active form and because your digestive tract cannot adequately absorb the nutrient, experts say.
Dr Mohammad Shafi, a physician said some of the early and most common symptoms of vitamin D deficiency include fatigue, insomnia, hair loss, loss of appetite, bone pain and aches.
He said changing food habits and an indoor lifestyle with inadequate exposure to sunlight have led to a drastic increase in cases of vitamin D deficiency
“Sunlight is the best source of vitamin D. Those suffering from Vitamin D deficiency should take fish, red meat, liver, and egg yolks,” the doctor said.
According to experts, the human skin contains a type of cholesterol that functions as a precursor to vitamin D. When exposed to UV-B radiation from the sun, it turns into vitamin D. “The unplanned pregnancies in women with dietary deficits can lead to worsening of vitamin D status in both mother and child,” the doctor added.
